I’ve just returned from a 15 night holiday to Tokyo and while I was there I spent two days at the Tokyo Disney Resort; one day in Disneyland and one in DisneySea.
For the entire duration of the trip we stayed at the Keio Plaza Hotel which is a Tokyo Disney Resort Good Neighbor Hotel.
“But what is a Good Neighbor Hotel?” I hear you ask.
Well, to give you an overview, there are four categories of hotels associated with the Tokyo Disney Resort that you can stay in:
1 | Disney Hotels
Disney Hotels are the official hotels owned and operated by the Tokyo Disney Resort. These are the closest hotels to the parks, with some even being attached to the parks themselves, and they are beautifully themed.
As with all Disney hotels, these hotels are generally quite expensive to stay in, but you are paying for perks such as the proximity to the parks, the theming, and the early entry to the parks.
2 | Tokyo Disney Resort Official Hotels
Official Hotels are located within the Tokyo Disney Resort but they aren’t owned or operated by the Tokyo Disney Resort.
These hotels provide a complementary shuttle bus to a Disney Resort Line station and from there you can take the monorail to the parks.
3 | Tokyo Disney Resort Partner Hotels
Partner Hotels are located close to the Tokyo Disney Resort in the nearby Shin-Urayasu area.
Although these hotels are a little further away from the parks than the official hotels, they all operate complimentary shuttle buses to the parks.
4 | Tokyo Disney Resort Good Neighbor Hotels
Good Neighbor Hotels are located further away from the Tokyo Disney Resort in areas such as Shinjuku, Koto and Chiba.
Believe it or not, I didn’t realise when I booked our trip that the Keio Plaza was affiliated with Tokyo Disneyland in any way!
I found the hotel through the British Airways website and picked it because of it’s location and good reviews. It was only after booking and I was doing my research on getting to the Tokyo Disney Resort that I found out it was a Good Neighbor hotel and therefore they provided a free bus to the parks.
Where is the Keio Plaza Hotel located?
The Keio Plaza is located in Shinjuku in Tokyo. More specifically, it’s located in the Shinjuku Skyscraper District, which is a little quieter and less busy than the entertainment district in Shinjuku, Kabukicho.
The hotel is right opposite the Tokyo Government Building which houses two observation platforms that are free to access. If you get lucky with the weather and visit on a clear day, you can even see Mount Fuji from there.
There is a tunnel at the back of the hotel which will take you directly into Shinjuku station (the busiest train station in the world!) and from there you can easily get to different areas of Tokyo.
There are plenty of restaurants and shops near by, including all the convenience stores you could dream of, so you won’t go hungry!
Traveling from Haneda airport to the Keio Plaza Hotel
There are a few ways in which you can make your way from Haneda airport to the Keio Plaza hotel such as bus, train and taxi.
We decided to book the Airport Limousine Bus which picks up from all terminals in Haneda airport and drops you off directly at the Keio Plaza Hotel. We really didn’t want to be figuring out Tokyo’s train system after a 14 hour flight, nor did we want to be lugging around our suitcases, so this seemed like the best option for us.
The Airport Limousine Bus is super reasonable. It cost around £7.50 per person per journey.
You can book the Airport Limousine Bus up to two months in advance, and while you can buy tickets at the airport I do recommend booking in advance, particularly if you are traveling at busier times.
Our flight leaving Japan was early in the morning, and we needed to leave the hotel about 5am. Unfortunately the Airport Limousine doesn’t run this early and so we decided to get a taxi to the airport instead.
We spoke to someone at the bellhop desk in the hotel a couple of days before our flight and they kindly booked a taxi for us.
On the morning of our flight we made our way down to the main entrance of the hotel and even though we were early, our taxi was ready and waiting for us.
I cannot remember the exact price of the taxi but I think it worked out around £40.
If you’re flying into Narita airport instead then you can also book the Airport Limousine Bus or take a taxi, but both will cost you more than if you are traveling from Haneda as Narita airport is further away.
Hotel facilities and services
The Keio Plaza is a huge hotel and has a wide range of facilities and services. The building consists of two towers and over 1,400 rooms altogether.
As well as an outdoor swimming pool and fitness centre, the hotel also features a whole host of shops and restaurants. You can even book experience such as dressing in Kimonos, sake tasting and tea ceremonies.
To be honest, we really didn’t utilise many of the facilities within the hotel as we spent most of our time out and about exploring Tokyo. However, it’s nice to know you have everything you could possibly need without ever needing to leave the hotel!
I also think the staff deserve a special shout out because they were absolutely incredible and couldn’t have been more helpful.
Staying in a standard room
When we booked our trip via the British Airways website we opted for a standard room with two single beds as this was the cheapest option. We knew we would only be using the hotel as a base to sleep and clean, so we weren’t bothered about paying extra for a double bed.
The room we stayed in was in the main tower of the hotel and was a pretty decent size for a Tokyo hotel room. As I said, we had two single beds that were pretty comfortable and I slept well every night (walking 20,000 steps a day probably helped!).
We had the most incredible view looking over Tokyo and the Tokyo Government Building. If you’re lucky enough to be overlooking the Tokyo Government Building then you will have the best view for the projection mapping show that is displayed on the Government Building every evening. Honestly, this was just an added bonus!
The room was kept well stocked with complimentary bottles of water and all the toiletries you could possibly need. In each room you’ll also find a mini fridge, a kettle, slippers (which you can take home with you!) and even Yakuta (Japanese nightwear).
Using the shuttle bus to Tokyo Disney Resort
The major perk of staying at the Keio Plaza Hotel for Disney lovers is the free shuttle bus that take you from the hotel to the Tokyo Disney Resort.
Although the bus is free, you do need to make a reservation in advance. It’s a coach so there’s a limited number of seats available.
I booked online through a link on the Keio Plaza website before my trip. I wasn’t sure how popular the bus would be and I wanted to guarantee my spot on the bus as far in advance as possible.
However, you can make a reservation at the hotel reception desk once you check in to the hotel.
There are two pickup times from the hotel in the mornings and two pickup times from Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea in the evenings. Make sure you check the Keio Plaza’s website for exact times.
The shuttle buses are really well organised, both at the hotel and at the parks. A member of staff will check your reservation number (so make sure you have this on your phone or printed off) and will tell you where to stand to wait for your bus. Make sure you’re on time because the bus will leave without you if you are late!
Each hotel has it’s own bus so you don’t have to go around picking up guests from other hotels; once you’re on you’re heading straight to the parks! Tokyo Disneyland is the first drop-off, followed by DisneySea.
They say the journey takes about 1 hour depending on traffic, but on the days we visited it only took about half an hour to get there. The drop-off and pickup points for the bus are very close to the entrance to the parks so you don’t have far to walk.
To conclude…
I think the Keio Plaza Hotel is perfect for anyone who wants to visit Tokyo Disney Resort while in Tokyo but who also plans on visiting other areas of Tokyo during their stay.
Staying at a Good Neighbor Hotel can work out much cheaper than staying at one of the official or partner hotels, and if you don’t want to be in the Disney bubble for your entire stay in Tokyo then this can be an ideal solution.
The free shuttle bus to Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea is a real selling point for this hotel, and it makes it so quick and easy to take a trip to the parks. It’s well organised and makes visiting the parks stress-free.
Would I stay at the Keio Plaza again? Absolutely! I’d stay there again regardless of whether I wanted to visit Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea because it’s such a great hotel!
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